Whether Marvel fans are pumped for it or not, Sony is continuing to assemble the many intricate pieces of their planned VENOM movie starring Tom Hardy. This afternoon, it was announced that award-winning actress Michelle Williams (MY NAME IS MARILYN, BLUE VALENTINE) is in talks to star opposite Hardy in a lead role for the upcoming superhero action film. Riz Ahmed has also recently joined the cast while Ruben Fleischer has been assigned the task of directing the project.

Sources are saying that Williams will step into the role of a district attorney and possibly Hardy's love interest for the film, though Sony was reluctant to comment on the nature of the casting. As it happens, Williams' consideration came after Sony execs and Fleischer had auditioned multiple actresses for the part. With production expected to begin next month, it sure is fortunate that a female lead has been found after an exhaustive, month-long talent search.

Oddly enough, Sony has previously come forward to say that VENOM will play no part in their shared Spider-Man universe. For the life of me, I can't understand how this is all going to work without the friendly neighborhood web-slinger, but the studio has confirmed that VENOM will be a stand-alone venture. Set to pen the script for the film are Scott Rosenberg (JUMANJI) and Jeff Pinkner (THE DARK TOWER), with Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach producing alongside Amy Pascal.

I'm still so confused as to how you go about making a VENOM film without mentioning Spider-Man. Perhaps if the writers work with the more recent and militarized version of the character it could work, but I'm not sure of how much fans will be into that iteration. Personally, I want to see a symbiotic monster akin Sarah Pichelli's version from the Miles Morales: Spider-Man series. WIth that being said, I could see material from Marvel's Venom: Space Knight working out as well, though I don't trust that Sony will be rocketing the character into the far reaches of the galaxy just yet. That version of Venom is cool, though, and the character design by artist Ariel Olivetti would certainly translate well to the big screen.

Either way, with production about to get underway, it won't be long before we see some concept art and set designs from this curious superhero gamble. Here's hoping that VENOM can web up more than a few surprises for when it arrives in theaters on October 5, 2018.

Extra Tidbit:

Reading Recommendation: Ultimate Comics All-New Spider-Man: Venom War by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli. If you're into Venom, or curious about the character, this story arc is a must-read.